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Some Items On Hushpuppi’s IG Were Loaned To Him By Brands, Says Associate

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Sikiru ‘Pac’ Adekoya, one of the suspects arrested with Hushpuppi, the embattled Nigerian socialite, says some of the items flaunted on the Instagram celebrity’s page were gotten on loan from brands.

Hushpuppi

Pac spoke in an interview with Bloomberg, a top US-based media outlet, wherein he reflected on his stint with the Instagram celebrity in Dubai and his eventual return to Nigeria.

Hushpuppi is known for his luxury lifestyle, which sees him flaunt expensive vehicles, dine with celebrities, and spread pictures of his glamorous home’s state-of-the-art furniture on social media.

His Instagram page, which boasts of 2.5 million followers, consists of posts of him posing all over the world with luxury bags, a fleet of Rolls Royce’s, private jets, helicopters, yachts, posh watches, and also chilling in five-star hotels.

But in June last year, the Instagram sensation was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alongside 11 of his associates over allegations bordering on hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.

Following his arrest, the self-acclaimed influencer was accused of defrauding 1.9 million victims to the tune of N168 billion and extradited to the US to continue his trial.

The socialite was initially arraigned and detained at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago following a delay in his trial due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But according to Pac, Hushpuppi’s popular presence on social media was aided by his ability to get some of the expensive items he shows off on his handles on loan.

“Pac told me that at least some of what Abbas showed off on social media was loaned to him solely for his Instagram. How much of his Gucci lifestyle was on loan from various brands may end up a tangential subject in the trial,” Bloomberg wrote.

He, however, did not mention some of the items or the companies granting them to him on loan.

Mehita Iqani, a professor at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, said the revelation raises concerns about the lack of regard for ethics among brands when selecting influencers.

“It does raise a really important set of questions about the ethics of marketing and how that intersects with the rise of influencers,” Iqani said.

“What responsibility do they have to do due diligence when they are choosing or recruiting an influencer?”

Pac, who has since been released following their arrest, also revealed that Hushpuppi supported his move to the UAE after he lost his construction job in Nigeria.

He added that he was living with the embattled Instagram celebrity at his Dubai apartment while searching for a job before the police arrested them.

Pac, however, said since he returned to Nigeria, he has been struggling.

“I hardly eat now, hardly go out. At times I don’t have money to fill my car,” he said.

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Odumodublvck reveals how Don Jazzy gave him $10k the day he met him for collabo

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Odumodublvck, the Nigerian rapper, has recalled how Don Jazzy, the music producer, gave him $10,000 during one of their meetings.

In a recent interview on Beat 97.9FM, the rapper, whose real name is Tochukwu Ojogwu, said he had reached out to Don Jazzy to collaborate on his song ‘Asampete’.

The 31-year-old said he felt that the music producer’s vocals were needed to complete the track.

Odumodublvck said during his visit to Don Jazzy’s residence, he was given the money and told that he could keep all the royalties from the song.

He added that Don Jazzy even offered to be featured as an artiste on the track.

“Don Jazzy is the king of Afrobeats. But ask anybody there is nobody who is more original than Don Jazzy. Don Jazzy is an OG. Respect to my brothers Burna, Wiz, Olamide, Dave all of us used to look up to him. Like the way we used to look up to them — Wizkid and David, they used to look up to him,” he said.

“…I just hit him up. The first day we did ‘Asampere’, I recorded a vocal that sounded like Don Jazzy’s vocal and I was like Don Jazzy should do it.

“When I went to meet him, he gave me a lot of money. I have to put it out there. I tell them everywhere I go. He gave me $10,000 cash. Don no be for mouth. He still gave me vocals.

“He now told me that I can keep all the royalties and I can keep him as a featured artiste. That day, they still cooked food for me to eat. They gave me turkey. The line for ‘turkey’ was already put in the song and that was God.”

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Lil Smart files petition against Naira Marley, Zinoleesky over threat to life

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Lil Smart, the Nigerian dancer, has filed a petition against Naira Marley and Zinoleesky over the alleged threat to his life.

On December 9, Smart shared disturbing photos and videos on social media, claiming his life was in danger.

He warned that Naira Marley and Zinoleesky should be held responsible if anything happened to him.

Zinoleesky, however, denied the allegations, accusing Smart of “chasing clout”. He also threatened legal action against the dancer.

In a recent Instagram post, Smart alleged he had previously endured bullying from the singers but lacked the evidence needed to take legal action.

He said he has officially submitted his petition with the necessary evidence to the authorities and is hopeful that the legal system will grant him justice.

“This has not been the first or third time I have been experiencing this bullying. But I did not have enough evidence to face the law. Now, I thank God that I have very good evidence, and I will put everything I have in line to make sure this bullying and threat to life is stopped,” he said.

“With my evidence, I really hope that they are not too big to be apprehended and face the law. I have submitted my petition, and I have provided my evidence to the authorities. By God’s grace, the law that binds us as citizens of Nigeria will make sure I get the justice I deserve.”

Naira Marley is yet to comment on the allegations.

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Burna Boy gifts Seun Kuti custom-made diamond chain of Fela

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Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning singer, has gifted colleague Seun Kuti a custom-made diamond chain designed in the image of Fela Kuti, his legendary father.

Seun shared a photo of the intricately designed chain via Instagram on Wednesday.

In the caption, the Afrobeat star revealed that Burna Boy presented him with the gift during their first meeting

Seun also expressed his appreciation to the singer.

“From @burnaboygram with love. We actually met properly for the first time and ODOGWU send gift. Thanks bro. Big love,” he wrote.

Burna Boy has often spoken about the profound influence Fela has had on his music and career.

He once described Fela as his “inspiration and childhood hero”.

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